Sheet feeding mechanism



Jan. 16, 1940.

R. S. HARM SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 R O T N E v m Jan. 16, 1940. R s, HARM SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I INVjIINTOR $44M W Jan. 16, 1940. R 5 HARM 2,187,123

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1938 I s sheets-sheet 3 INVENTOR 50' /58 9 41,, w WWKGM Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Richard S. Harm, Dormont, half to Guy W. Battles,

Pa., asslgnor of one- Springdale, Pa.-

Application September 24, 1938, Serial No. 231,535

6,0laims.

This invention relates to sheet feeding and more particularly to apparatus for successively feeding individual sheets from the bottom of a stack or pack of, sheets.

An object of {this invention is to produce a simple, eflicient and inexpensive device for successively feeding, to a machine such as a multigraphing machine, individual sheets from the bottom of a stack or pack of sheets.

Another object is to produce a simple, inexpensive device for successively feeding individual sheets from the bottom of a stack or pack of sheets which stack or pack may from time to time be replenished or added to without the 1 necessity of stopping the device or otherwise interfering with the feed of such sheets. I

These, as well as other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in the sheet feeding art, I attain by means of the device described in 2 the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this application and throughout which similar elements are denoted by like characters.

In the drawings:

25 Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a device embodying this invention; said device being attached to and driven fromv a machine such as a multigraphing machine to which it is designed to feed a succession of individual sheets from the 80 bottom of a stack or pack of sheets;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of such sheet feeding device per se;

Fig. 3 is a top perspective view of the magazine or container of the sheet feeding device with- 88 in which the sheets to be fed are stacked;

Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the major partof the sheet feeder of Fig. 1; the outlet portion of the magazine or container and the parts associated with the outlet portion thereof being 40' omitted;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the outlet or discharge end of the magazine;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view in section of a portion of the sheet feeder; and

45 Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of a portion of the device.

The device of this invention comprises a magazine or container for accommodating a stack or pack of sheets such as paper sheets, and means 50 for successively feeding to a multigraphing machine (or other machine in which the sheets are to be processed or otherwise acted upon) individual sheets from the bottom of the stack or pack of sheets.

55 The magazine or container, which in its entirety is designated by the numeral 1, is mounted on a supporting frame 8 and this frame by means of bolts 9 is secured to the support structure ill of a multigraphing or other machine II. The plane of the top of the support frame 8 is inclined at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal.

The magazine comprises a floor-like member l2 which is attached to support frame 8 and has the same inclination to the horizontal as the upper surface of frame 8. Member I2 is provided with a series of longitudinally extending slots l3 within which sheet contact members of the sheet displacer are adapted to reciprocate during feeding movements of the displacer, as hereinafter described.

In Figure 1, I have illustrated a stack or pack M of sheets in place within the magazine or sheet container and it will be noted that the lower end of the stack rests upon a support which because of the inclination of member l2 sustains the ma-- jor part of the weight of the stack. This support is made in two parts. each having an upstanding portion and a foot or part l6 which lies in contact with member l2 and which is slotted as at H to receive securing screws l8. These screws are threaded into openings in member l2 and the slots and screws provide means for adjusting the position of the support to accommodate stacks of different lengths. A screw I9 threaded into an opening in member l2 located between parts l6 of the support cooperates with screws l8 in holding the separate parts of the support in line and in adjusted position. 7

Side members are supported on member l2 and are adapted to serve as sides for the magazine or sheet container. These side members are preferably formed of sheet metal and each is provided with an inwardly extending bottom flange 2| and outwardly extending spaced feet 22. The feet are slotted as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to receive securing screws 23 which are threaded into suitable openings in member l2. This construction provides adjustment of side members 20 laterally of member l2 in order to accommodate sheets of different widths.

A sheet metal bracket is secured to each upper forward corner of member l2. These brackets are made right and left and the bracket shown in Figs. 1 and 3 is illustrated in Figure '7. These brackets are preferably formed from sheet-like metal to provide a more or less triangular portion 24, angle flanges 25 and 26 and a depending portion 21. Flange 25 is located below the forward end of member 12 and is secured thereto by means of screws 28 which pass through holes 29 of the flange and are threaded into suitable holes in member l2. Bolts 30 located within holes 3| of flange 26 are utilized to secure the top end piece 32 of the magazine in place. This end piece is provided adjacent each of its ends with a slot 33 through which bolts 30 pass. End piece 32 at its bottom is provided with a guard lip 34 and this lip at its extreme outer end is bent slightly inw'ard as shown at 35 to form a shallow hooklike edge for the purpose of catching and holding back the upper sheet if two sheets happen to move simultaneously through the outlet opening of the magazine.

The bolt and slot connection between flanges 26 of the corner brackets and the top end gate of the magazine affords means for nicely adjusting the position of the deflector lip 34.

It will be apparent that the two part support I5 is the actual floor or bottom of the magazine since member I2 is positioned at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal which angle is greater than the angle of stability or angle of repose of the stack or pack of sheets. In reality, the stack or pack leans against member l2; the major part of its weight being carried by support l5. This angular arrangement of member l2 materially assists in the successful feeding of individual sheets from the bottom of the stack.

A roller support rod 36 is mounted within openings 31 formed in the depending ears 21 of the corner brackets and a tubular roller 38 is mounted for rotation on this rod. This roller as shown in Fig. 5 is located below and supports the outer end of the stack of sheets. The roller being located beyond the upper end 39 of member l2 and between member l2 and guide lip or apron 34 assists in the feed of the sheets through the outlet of the magazine. In Figs. 1 and 5, the end of the lower sheet 40 of the pack is shown as having been bent downwardly over roller 38 by guide apron 34 to position the same for its entrance into the multigraphing" machine.

The sheet feeding mechanism is attached to the under side of support frame 8 and is adapted to be operated in synchronism with the multigraphing or other machine to which sheets are to be fed. A shaft 4| journaled in bracket arms 4242 at one end carries a gear 43 which meshes with a gear 44 carried on a shaft 45. Shaft 45 carries a sprocket 46 which is adapted to be driven from the multigraphing or other machine H by means of a silent chain 41. Shaft 4| carries a crank arm 48 and to this a rod 49 is pivotally attached by means of a crank pin 50. As will be noted, crank arm 48 is provided with several other holes such as 5! and 52 for receiving crank pin for the purpose of adjusting the throw of the crank to accommodate longer or shorter sheets.

Rod 49 at its outer end is pivotally connected by means of a pin 53 and a two part bracket 54 to a displacer support 55. This displacer support is of such length as to span slots l3 in member l2, and in line with each of said slots support 55 carries a sheet contact pad 56. These pads are preferably made of friction material such as sponge rubber and each pad is preferably secured to displacer support 55 by means of gripping members 51.

Each outer end of displacer 55 is provided with a contact roller 58 and each of these rollers is mounted on a cylindrical bearing member 59 which is secured to or formed in one piece with an eccentric pin 60 which fits within a bore formed for that purpose in the end of support 55. A set screw 6| locks pin 60 in position and by rotating bearing portion 59 the position of roller ll with relation to the top and bottom surfaces of displacer support 55 may be adjusted.

A bifurcated bracket 62 which is secured to a cross member 63 carried by frame 8 has its side members slotted as at 54 to receive a pin 55. The ends of pin 65 which project beyond the outside surfaces of the side members of bracket 62 carry cylindrical stop members 65. These form enlarged ends for the pin and are secured in place on said pin by means of set screws 51. A bolt 5| passes through openings formed for its reception in the side members of bracket 62. Connected to each outer end of this bolt is a spring 63. The opposite end of each of these springs is connected to one of the cylindrical stop members 65 of pin 65.

A pin 10 has its opposite ends secured within the side members of bracket 62. Rod 49 passes between the side members of bracket 62 and between pins 65 and 10. Pin 65 under the urge of springs 69 yieldingly holds the displacer support 55 in operative or feeding position with its support rollers 58 in contact with the under side of member I2 during feeding movements of the displacer support member.

Shaft 4| is rotated in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1 and it will be apparent that during part of the throw of crank arm 48 contact pads 55 will move within slots l5 and toward their upper ends. As rotation of the crank continues, rod 49 will contact with pin 10 which preferably carries an encircling tubular roller and as this occurs, displacer support 55 will be kicked out of feeding position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and will remain out of feeding position until the crank arm 48 again moves into feeding position.

I have found that at times if the stack happens to get low, there is a tendency for two or more sheets to follow the bottom sheet in its upward travel. For the purpose of holding back these sheets, I provide a series of sheet retarders ll. These retarders resemble set screws and are threaded through a thickened part 12 of guard lip 34. Each retarder is provided with a bluntly pointed contact end 13 and it will be apparent that these retarders may be adjusted to just the position required.

It will be apparent that the stack of sheets may be replenished from time to time without interrupting the operation of the feeder.

If narrow sheets are to be fed one or more of the contact pads 56 may be detached from the displacer support 55 and the side members 20 adjusted to accommodate the narrower sheets. If the sheets to be fed are shorter and narrower than normal, one half of a support made up of parts l5--|6 may be moved upwardly between side members 20.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device for successively feeding individual sheets from the bottom of a stack of sheets, a longitudinally slotted support for a stack of sheets, a sheet displacer movable below said support and having means adapted during feeding movements to project through the slot of said support and frictionally engage the bottom sheet of the stack, a crank adapted to be driven in synchronism with the machine to which sheets are to be fed, an operative connection between said displacer and said crank, means yieldingly holding said displacer in sheet feeding position during part of the travel of said crank, and means for holding said displacer out of contact with said stack during the remaining travel of said crank.

2. In a device for successively feeding individual sheets from the bottom of a stack of sheets to a multigraphing or other machine means for supporting a stack of sheets at an angle beyond its angle of repose and a sheet feeder arranged to engage the bottom sheet of the stack and to slide the same upwardly beneath the stack; said feeder including a crank adapted to be driven synchronously with said machine, a member for frictionally engaging the bottom sheet of the stack, a rod connecting said friction member and said crank, means tending to yieldingly hold said friction member in contact with the bottom sheet of said stack during each entire revolution of said crank and an agent for rendering said means ineffective during part of such revolution whereby said friction member is held in contact with the bottom sheet during its feed movements and out of contact with the stack during its return movements.

3. In a sheet feeder, a rest member having an inclination to the horizontal of approximately and which is provided with longitudinal openings extending therethrough, a bottom support member for supporting a stack of sheets leaning against said rest member, a sheet dlsplacer movable below said rest member and having means adapted during its upward movements to project through the openings in said rest member and frictionally engage the bottom sheet of the stack, a crank adapted to be driven in synchronism with the machine to which the sheets are to be fed. an operative connection between said displacer and said crank, means yieldingly holding said displacer in sheet feeding position during part of the travel of said crank and means for holding said displacer out of contact with said stack during the remaining travel of said crank.

5. In a device for feeding individual sheets from the bottom of a stack of sheets supported at an angle beyond its angle of repose, a longitudinally slotted support, a sheet displacer located below said support and having means adapted, during its upward movements, to project through the slot of said support and frictionally engage the bottom sheet of the stack supported thereby, a member adapted to be reciprocated in synchronism with the machine to which sheets are to be fed, an operative connection between said member and said displacer, means yieldingly holding said displacer in sheet feeding position during part of the travel of said member and means for holding said displacer out of contact with said stack during the remaining travel thereof.

6. In a device for feeding individual sheets from the bottom of a stack of sheets supported at an angle beyond its angle of repose, a longitudinally slotted sheet support, a sheet dlsplacer below said support, a rod carrying said displacer, a crank for reciprocating said rod back and forth below said support, yielding means for holding said displacer in sheet feeding position during feeding movements of said rod, and stop means located above said rod and against which said rod is held by said yielding means during return movements of said rod.

- RICHARD S. HARM. 

